Several Western European nations have expressed their opposition to the potential resumption of the Iran war, as spiralling global oil prices have worsened the cost of living crisis across Europe. Countries such as Germany and the UK, among other major powers, which initially remained silent on the US-Israeli bombardment of Iran, have aired their views, calling for diplomacy to end the war which has disrupted global oil supplies. Continued disruption to energy supplies is pushing up household costs as winter in Europe approaches, adding fuel to protests over living standards that have engulfed European capitals in recent weeks.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Sunday drew attention to what he described as a shift in Germany’s position on attacks against Iran. In a post on X, Baghaei recalled German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s remarks during Israel’s June 2025 military campaign: “This is the dirty work Israel is doing for all of us.” He contrasted those words with German officials’ recent warnings against renewed attacks and calls to prevent further escalation, before citing Friedrich Schiller’s The Maid of Orleans, quoting a passage that portrays reason being helplessly dragged towards an abyss by the forces of madness. Experts say Baghaei’s remarks reflect a broader shift across Europe, where leaders are increasingly questioning their support for the US-Israeli war on Iran.
With Washington reportedly preparing options for renewed attacks, what would further escalation mean for Europe and could the war further strain already frayed relations with the United States? When the US and Israel launched their attacks on February 28 , the leaders of Britain, France and Germany issued a joint statement condemning Iran’s retaliatory strikes on countries across the region. Their statement did not condemn the opening US-Israeli attacks.
However, it called for negotiations to follow. Nearly eight months into the war, European governments are now explicitly warning against another military campaign. On Friday, the foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany and Italy met their counterparts from Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt in Istanbul to discuss the conflict and the Strait of Hormuz.
Further escalation between Iran and the US “would create nothing but losers and would undoubtedly have very serious consequences for hydrocarbon prices”, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said. The warnings against new attacks do not necessarily mean European governments have abandoned their positions on Iran’s nuclear programme or regional activities, but they do show a change of position and have revealed that European governments are not united in their approach to the Iran war. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has consistently opposed the US-Israeli campaign.
At this month’s European summit, he again described the war as “illegal, unjust and unjustified”, linking it to Europe’s mounting economic costs. Western countries have opposed Iran’s nuclear programme, which Tehran says is for civilian purposes only. European countries were part of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Iran that limited Tehran’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.
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